Author Archives: joybrown

It was such a special time in Japan with my teacher Shige, his wife and other apprentices. We are like family. As apprentices, not only did we learn how to make pots and build and fire kilns but we learned … Continue reading →

One of the wonderful things about traveling or being in another culture is you can expect the unexpected. In our days at work, there are often surprising things happening or showing up, usually much to our delight! One time Tanya … Continue reading →

There is a lot of loud banging, grinding, welding, and dusty fumey HOT air in this workshop as there are a number of other projects going on along with my big ladies. They are building a 25 foot tall metal … Continue reading →

Finding the eyes and mouth on a figure is one of my favorite parts of the whole process. It calls for a lot of concentration so I go to the workshop very early before anyone is there (they start at … Continue reading →

When we were here in April after lunch many of the workers would come outside the kitchen and hang out in the warm sun on my big bronze reclining figure that was stored there under the eaves. There couldn’t be … Continue reading →

To back up a little, I was here in April this year with Tanya Kukucka who is my dear friend and wonderful assistant. We built another big reclining lady in plaster. This big lady turned out larger than I had … Continue reading →